
photo by Chandra Joy Kauffmann
I’ve been working hard at recovery since I had my hip replaced in late March. Am I neurotic? Perhaps. I’m probably also one of those ‘A’ personalities who is driven.
I’m not the type to buy an Exercycle and then just use it to hang laundry on. Nor will I enroll in an exercise class and lose interest. So, I used my bike regularly about five days a week and attended both Tai Chi and ‘Joint Works’ exercise classes and never missed if at all possible until — I was in so much pain I could hardly walk (prior to this surgery).
After I got my new hip, I did my assigned exercises diligently, returned to my exercise classes before I was able to do all the moves the rest of the class did, and got back on my Exercycle before I could lift that right leg over the centre. I had to walk around the bike and get up on the left, and began with very few rotations, which I slowly built up. With time I was able to lift that right leg over the centre — barely, but it was progress. Bravo!
I love baths. My whirlpool jets are set to hit directly at my arthritic joints. The warm

I love baths
water is wonderfully soothing. After three months, my surgeon said I may bathe again. A dear friend came over (just in case I needed help) and I made it! If I were a drinking person, I’d have celebrated with champagne! That was a real biggie….
I hadn’t been able to travel for well over a year. Gleefully, I

Michael and Susan at their front door
planned a visit to see the new home my daughter and son-in-law had built the year before. It required two airline flights each way, but I made it! I also climbed 17 stairs (Susan counted them) to see their upper floor. Since it was my birthday while I was there, my San Francisco contingent joined us. We celebrated. It was fantastic.

Being spoiled rotten — facial and foot massage
Everyone spoiled me. My Chandra and grandson Remy gave me a facial and foot massage. Chandra noticed I hadn’t trimmed the last three toes on my right foot. True. I couldn’t yet reach them and wasn’t happy with having them done at the pedicure shop. (They’re into esthetics and that’s not what I need.) My loved ones took care of that too.

Hamming it up
After my return home, now and then I begin to feel, in spite of my continued hard work, I haven’t made any new progress. Then something happens. One day I discovered I WAS able to reach and trim those three toenails on my right foot by myself. It was so exciting, I sent an email to my kids to give them the news. This too was a biggie.
Little by little, I keep increasing my exercises, and now and then I get a new or unexpected reward. I’m now up to 4:20 miles per seating on my bike, and am doing 70 steps each time on my stepper. I continue attending exercise classes, and my loyal pedometre counts my steps when I walk each day. I’m building them up too.
I’m not done with little miracles yet. When I bathed yesterday, I was able to get into my higher-than-average tub without using my arm to pull my right leg up and over. Yeah! Another step forward….
Why am I telling you all this? So you won’t ever give up.
Wonderful news, Muriel…Bravo! And thanks for the inspiration to exercise more, remembering to be patient, and to use the “one step at a time” method!
And thank YOU for reading Val. It does seem just when I’m ready to believe nothing good will ever come along anymore, something wonderful happens. All the best. Muriel
You’re doing a great job!
Keep it up.
Thanks Neil: I’m the one who benefits in the end, right? All the best, Muriel
This is a good lesson to all that persistence really does pay off! Even a little progress is progress, and small steps can add up to a big move in the right direction over time.
And, thank YOU Susan: For receiving, with enthusiasm, every excited email and phone call when I accomplished some little step forward which I just HAD to tell you about.
Thank you too for the idea of writing about it here. Your support is worth a million. Love, Mom
That’s very nice, Mom, but are we talking a million CANADIAN, or a million AMERICAN??? ; )
Uh, I was thinking Mexican pesos Susan. Love, Mom
I’m sorry, but I can’t accept pesos as a form of currency in this transaction. Our illustrious president Trump is going to build a wall between us and Mexico so that we can keep out all those incredibly dangerous and oh-so-scary nannies, gardeners, and strawberry pickers. Once that wall goes up, how would I get down there to spend my pesos? I’m thinking latkas, instead???
Not to worry Susan: Like the walls of Jericho, Trump’s wall will fall. Those extremely dangerous nannies will gather an army of the kids they care for and they’ll march together to destroy the wall. Yes, nannies are, indeed, most dangerous! Save your pesos. Latkas? Sure.
This was really inspiring, Muriel. Good for us humans to hear how simple, small increases and bits of progress yield steady improvements that are quite impressive over a few months…
And of course for me too, in my 3 year 4x/day march down the hall, now that I have made it out of the building, across the street to the coffee shop, and to the park next door!
That is awesome, Chris! You and my mom are showing the rest of us how it is done!
You, too, are an inspiration Chris. Let’s both keep it up.
Thanks Susan!
You are an inspiring writer for people of all ages.
Thank you overthehillontheyellowbrickroad: Like your blog’s title. Shall visit soon. Muriel